ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. field — a subject
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. last — to go on
  7. club — for dancing
  8. last — finally
  9. lean — thin
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. field — for sport
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a tool
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. last — final
  16. lean — to bend
  17. club — for golf
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. field — farmland
  21. saw — the tool
  22. file — a document
  23. club — a group
  24. lean — to rest against

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com